Before …!

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Sat, 23 Dec 2023
  • 418 reads
14 comments
 

So much shopping (through the crowds),
looking, planning, cooking –
peeling, chopping veg,
baking, making lists (things to do and things forgotten),
wrapping, posting, boiling, roasting,
scurrying, worrying (are we doing too much,
spending – unnecessarily – too much;
am I just trying to copy others,
will I be too tired to enjoy?)
packing, travelling, cleaning
decorating, earning, earning …

to obtain a holiday, a family celebration,
with leisure, and rest from
… hard work!

[IP: hard work]

 

Certificate U
Poem
Christmas
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I used to love all the preparations for Christmas, and seemed to thrive on auto pilot, running around getting everything ready, it was so much fun and a pleasure to see all the happy faces. I always made many lists well before the festive day, then I knew exactly what was needed. 

Now it's just nice to sit back and enjoy the season, although I still have the Christmas dinner to make, that always leaves me in a bit of a panic, but once I'm in the swing of it all, I wonder what the anxiety was all about. I suppose it's making sure everything is ready at once, and not getting cold, of course then there's the Christmas pudding to get ready too. Phew! surprise A woman's work is never done, is it? wink

Good luck with your Christmas celebrations Rhiannon. Hope it all goes to plan...and thank you for the I P, it was perfect.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

This year we are entertainng the nearby family for tomorrow lunch after chapel, and then they are hosting us in their new house Christmas day. So that's easy for us, thank you! But there's a lot of work for men and dads too with getting other work out of the way to be able to take a holiday (and choosing presents!) Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I have a ridiculous amount of lists - I often feel as if I need some kind of planning room like in WW2 with people pushing things around on maps!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Rhiannon - one small typo: peeling?

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Oh, thank you. I have never been able to get to grips with the 'ee' or 'ea' in English spelling!

I hope you haev a happy time too, once the lists and hard work are over! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Thank you Rhiannon!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you for the cherries! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Yes, and yes, just as it is, a nice one Rhiannon. For us a change this year; I usually do all the catering, while my wife does all the rest; but this year we go to our sons, so I don't have to do anything - apart from falling asleep watching Dr Who.

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks. I hope you all have a good time. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

You have really caught the busy-ness before Christmas! I never thought I could miss the struggle back from present-shopping in Guildford on the bus, with bags bulging full of heavy, poking, bashing things, but now I do almost all the present shopping on Ebay, I do miss it, or at least the bit you describe so well:

"So much shopping (through the crowds),
looking, planning"

You have evoked the feeling of unity, everyone bustling about together - it must be how birds feel just before migrating, the urgency and unity of purpose, excitement,perhaps, will it all be ok? Will I get there?

And this part reminded me strongly of the first time I had been in charge of a family Christmas :

"scurrying, worrying (are we doing too much,
spending – unnecessarily – too much;
am I just trying to copy others"

and "earning, earning" as all the time, in your mind the spending is like being in a tiny canoe crashing down a racing rapids going faster and faster

Being the one in charge of even our tiny three person Christmas, is the closest to being a general I ever want to get :0)

Thankyou for your lovely poem, I hope tomorrow's lunch goes well, and that your daughter in law and son enjoy their first Christmas hosting you, and you enjoy the rest :0)

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you so much, and for all your support always. And I hope you enjoy the fruit of your 'General duties' and have a peaceful and happy holiday. I didn't want to push the 'earning' too hard, but the thought that the hard work of earning has gone into food and present giving.

I was amused at your mention of unity in the bustling shopping. I suppose there is some sense of that, though sometimes it can seem a bit more thrust and grab before others do, and to get through the pressing throng. I once wrote a little poem, 'Oh for calmness in the clamour …'!

warm regards, Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhymes And Reasons on

'Christmas has become very commercialized.' Still it is the most happy time of the year. Merry Christmas To You And Your Family. Season's Greetings!

heart

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

thank you, Jacques, and to you and your family. It is good to stop and meditate and be thankful and prayerful too! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

"...to obtain a holiday, a family celebration,
with leisure, and rest from
… hard work!"

 

I felt exhausted reading the first few lines. Hoping those final lines are how your Christmas panned out, Rhiannon. Paul

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Oh, our preparations have been fairly calm, thank you, especially as we had Christmas Day as guests of our local famiily! and the young girls took things well too. But I'm conscious of many working very hard whether it be at present and food preparation or just to 'get finished at the office' in order to be able to take the break! It was an interesting development from the IP. Rhiannon